From EP-A1-0 510 715 it is known as prior art to manufacture liquid-absorbent articles consisting of an absorption body and a cover, where the cover is manufactured from continuously fed webs of material. The article is formed as a diaper, an incontinence-protection, training pants or the like, in which elastics around the legs are achieved by placing and fastening elongated elastic members on one of the webs of material, wherein said elastic members have been given a continuously sinusoidal extension over the longitudinal direction of the web of material. By the extension of the elastic members and their fastening to the web of the material, said web is affected by forces pointing in different directions, i. a. transversely to the longitudinal direction of the web of material. The forces exerted on the web of material in its longitudinal direction by the elastic members are counteracted by stretching the web of material by means of feeder-rollers during the manufacture of the article. In order to counteract the forces exerted on the web of material transversely to its longitudinal direction it is known to apply a vacuum against the web of material. This however presupposes that the web of material is air-tight or only permeable to a limited degree. Thus, this method is not applicable for stretching a web of liquid-permeable material which is used as one side of the article.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,434,111 discloses a method and an apparatus of manufacturing elastic fabrics using pins as restraint means carried by chains forming part of a transportation device. As the fabric connects with the pins directly at a roll, the restraining effect in the longitudinal direction will not be fully performed with the risk that the elastic fabric will not be restrained to a smooth surface at the moment when elastic elements are fastened.